Outdoor-Firm CEO Nominated for Interior

By

Tennille Tracy and

Colleen McCain Nelson

Updated Feb. 6, 2013 7:23 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama tapped the chief executive of outdoor-gear retailer REI to lead the Interior Department, choosing someone with a unique mix of business and environmental credentials to help steer the White House's energy agenda.

Sally Jewell, a 56-year-old who started out as a petroleum engineer at the former Mobil Oil Corp., is the first woman nominated by Mr. Obama for a second-term cabinet opening.